The hinges creaked with a sound that froze my blood. The door opened slowly, and my instinct screamed at me to retreat, to seek the shadows as refuge. But the chains yanked at my neck, denying me any escape. The sound of heavy boots echoed down the hallway, each step reverberating like a hammer against my skull, as if fear itself were walking toward me.
Then I saw him.
A towering knight, his black hair falling over his shoulders and a gaze as cold as a moonless night. His presence was so frigid I felt the air around me freeze. With a sharp motion, he grabbed my chain with one hand and pulled it with a snap. The collar around my neck vibrated before being brutally ripped from the wall. The pain was sharp, but the terror I felt was even sharper.
—Hey, kaleh! —I heard the mocking voice of my cellmate. I saw him greet the knight with a familiarity that made me feel even more vulnerable—. Old friends—when they kill him, send me his head. You know that's my favorite part.
—Shut up, trash —the knight growled with a contempt that cut like a sword.
He approached the prisoner without hesitation, and with a brutal motion, drove his boot into his stomach with such force it pierced through him like wet paper. The prisoner let out a gasp of surprise and pain, his sadistic laugh drowning in a gush of blood. He could only turn and look into his eyes one last time. His mouth dripped blood, and yet he wore a smile.
—Someone of your caliber has no right to give me orders, scum —the knight said, holding the chain that bound me.
Without a trace of emotion, the knight withdrew his leg from the dying body and, with a casual gesture, crushed his head against the floor, like smashing a rotten egg. Blood splattered the stones, and I felt my stomach twist. Fear seized me—a fear I couldn't control.
Before I could process what had just happened, the knight dragged me out of the cell and effortlessly threw me into a vast armory. I landed face-first on the cold floor, and the pain in my ribs made me hold my breath.
—You have 10 minutes to prepare —he announced in his mocking tone, savoring the desperation on my face—. Choose whatever you want.
When he finally released me, I felt disgust crawl up my throat. And sooner than I expected, I vomited. I glanced around, and it didn't seem like I was the first in this same situation.
I struggled to my feet, surveying the wreckage around me. Rusted shelves, battered weapons, dull swords, dented armor... every object seemed more useless than the last. I sighed in frustration, running my hand along a sword's edge only to confirm it was blunter than an old knife.
—Shit... —I muttered, feeling tears of helplessness threaten to spill.
In the end, I took the best I could find: a barely functional sword. I would've grabbed armor, but none fit me—almost everything was built for muscular giants.
Time passed like an icy breeze before a door of wooden logs groaned open.
Sunlight stabbed my eyes. I blinked until my vision adjusted. Then I saw it: the roar of the crowd, the stench of blood and sweat, the immensity of a coliseum where the fate of the condemned was decided by sword blows and spilled blood.
A thunderous voice filled the air.
—Today, you'll witness a special battle! —a dwarf bellowed from above, his voice so powerful it rattled my bones—. Our honorable knight Jannes versus scum—a traitorrrrr!
The coliseum shook with cheers and jeers. Across from me, a red-haired knight stood in gleaming armor, a colossal sword resting at his waist. There was no starting signal. No mercy.
Jannes lunged at me with inhuman speed, his sword descending like lightning. Instinctively, I raised mine to block, and a shuddering impact shot through my arms to my bones. My blade trembled but held.
—Hello, traitor —he muttered with a twisted smile. —I'll be your executioner.
His sword rose again in a lethal spin. Desperate, I lifted my weapon to intercept, but this time his blade split mine in two like rotten wood. A searing heat raced across my cheek. The edge of his sword had grazed my skin, leaving a thin red line.
I leaped back, breath ragged. Jannes laughed.
—Ha! Impressive. Your soul's sacrifice gave you more power than I expected. I'd rank you at least Talent or Elevated.
His eyes gleamed with sadism as he took a fighting stance. I, meanwhile, felt lost. No weapons. No defense. No way out.
—Wait, please! —I shouted, throwing the broken hilt of my sword to the ground.
I accepted my fate. I heard his leap, felt the earth shake under his impact. Dust billowed in a thick curtain. Then, something inside me roared. My fists clenched. A strange heat surged through my veins. My arm trembled with unknown intensity.
—No! —I told myself, as that fire burned within me. —I won't die here!
With all my strength, I threw a punch into the air. The explosion that followed didn't come from me. The dust cleared, revealing a towering silhouette in the haze. That knight I'd encountered during the princess's evasion stood between us. My punch had dented his armor, but he was unfazed. He stood with unshakable confidence.
He held Jannes's sword in one hand.
—A traitor doesn't get to speak —he said with a calm smile, effortless.
Jannes froze. But only for an instant. With a roar of fury, he dropped his sword and lunged at me with a knife. The cold steel pierced my chest. A stabbing pain tore through me.
My strength faltered. My vision blurred. I fell to my knees.
—Shit... —I whispered, feeling blood fill my mouth.
Jannes smiled, triumphant. But his victory lasted a single second. The knight in dark armor moved like lightning. With a devastating kick, he sent Jannes flying, slamming him into the ground with brutal force.
Before my body hit the sand, a strong hand caught me. His grip was firm but not aggressive.
—Easy, kid —the knight Valdor whispered—. I won't let you die.
My eyelids closed. The cold of his metal gloves chilled my skin until I felt nothing.
The darkness had consumed me.